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.Published by: Image Comics
Released on: July 23, 2014
So it appears - thankfully, for the series - that young Malcolm Dragon survived the massive explosion that destroyed Red Rage. However, he's come to in less-than-idea circumstances, with all his skin gone, chained in the basement of a tenement, being told that the people there need him and his strength to do what needs to be done. He just wants a pair of pants, for crying out loud…
[SAVAGE SPOILERS!]
Elsewhere, the league of villainous super-beings known as the Vicious Circle meets to discuss the status of their search for Malcolm. Having come up empty in the week since that explosion Savage Dragon-nemesis and league leader Dart is very disappointed in them all and growing very frustrated. Meanwhile, Malcolm's girlfriend Maxine also continues her search, despite her parents setting her up on yet another “appropriate†date with a successful Asian human. But her heart's Malcolm's and she's trying to get into the Danger Zone where he was last seen in order to try and find him herself.
Malcolm's skin is healing but he's still prisoner of, he soon discovers, a group of people that had been ordinary until Bellco Chemicals decided to use the Danger Zone's as a testing ground for mutagens by putting them into the water supply. At first, it's young Zelda that pleads with him as she just wants to be pretty again. But then, later, it's Herringbone, the brains behind the plan to use Malcolm to bring down Bellco. He also explains this water-based poisoning after he's let Malcolm have some water.
The villains continue to rip the Danger Zone apart in their search for Malcolm. Maxine nearly gets caught in the middle until some cops save her. At the same time, Malcolm learns that the chains binding him were forged by demonoids of the Underworld so they are unbreakable. And now that he's also been poisoned he'll change soon, too, but still be strong enough to level Bellco. Malcolm refuses and fights against his restraints and this plan. Herringbone says he should be able to appreciate their frustration now and the futility of fighting against this. Malcolm answers, though, by tearing out the ground holding the chains and weaponizing his restraints, slicing Herringbone in half in the process as well as taking down the building he was in.
Malcolm is about to dig through the rubble, in case anyone was in that building, when he's approached by a flying figure who begins shooting at him. Malcolm uses his chain-rock weapons to fight back but, now, everyone's alerted to his location, including Maxine and the cops. Attacked from all sides, he goes into a frenzy but when the dust settles, it's Maxine that nervously approaches what she hopes is still him but, from all appearances, the mutagens are doing their work…
Erik Larsen is clearing having a blast at this point in the series, making each issue a sequence of delightful fight scenes as the character is still trying to find his own voice. He also continues to keep the artwork all bright, vibrant and detailed, adding to the playful spirit of the title quite nicely. Also included in this issue is a short called Neutron Bob that dovetails nicely into the Vicious Circle's story in the main issue and then a “Funnies†page with three different strip-style comics that all serve to keep up the playful tone of the issue.
